Calida Kitchen and Wine is a brand new restaurant in St. Pete serving international cuisine, and is located at 2909 Dr M.L.K. Jr St N, just across the street from local favorite Rollin’ Oats.
Dayna Bennett and her boyfriend Ian Florence have worked in restaurants for over twenty years. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago, however, that they finally opened one of their own.
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Inspired by the couple’s global travels, Calida Kitchen and Wine is St. Pete’s newest hush-hush, hole-in-the-wall culinary find. Tucked away in a small house on MLK Jr St N, the restaurant serves internationally-inspired eclectic fare in an intimate setting. The walls are adorned with Spanish and Austrian wines. Antique furniture — as nostalgic as it is trendy — fills the space between them.
“No one in my family has ever worked in restaurants,” Dayna said. “But restaurants are my passion. Every time I leave the industry, it keeps calling me back.”
Ian reciprocated her feelings. “I have two passions,” he said. “Music and food. I used to have a music studio, but we always wanted a restaurant. And the timing with this space was just right.”
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Driven by that passion (and real estate opportunity), therefore, the team opened Calida.
Serving “international fare” in an intimate setting
When we visited Calida Kitchen and Wine last Friday night, we certainly picked up on the couple’s international, eclectic vision. With a menu boasting dishes from the Middle East to China, it’s hard to compartmentalize the restaurant’s fare into one specific category.
“We’ve traveled all around the world,” Dayna said, “And we’ve picked up on things we like from each different country. So we didn’t want to make a restaurant that only served one type of cuisine. Our vision was just to serve globally-inspired dishes that are memorable.”
From “Flank Steak” in a “French Salsa Verde,” to delicate “Banana Wontons” in sugar-dusted shells, we believe the team is on the right trajectory towards achieving that goal.
And, if you try some of these intercontinental plates, you just might agree with us.
The Menu
Shatta Shrimp
One of the strongest dishes on Calida’s appetizer menu, the Shatta Shrimp features Middle Eastern Hot Sauce (similar in flavor to Malaysian sambal) over Argentine Red shrimp and various farm-to-table veggies. When we tried it, we were particularly impressed by Chef Ian’s ability to retain the tenderness of the Argentine Reds which — when cooked correctly — almost taste like lobster.
Another notable ingredient in the dish was the spring onion, which adds a perfect hint of sweetness to an otherwise spicy plate.
Beef and Chorizo Empanadas
An ode to Latin America, Calida’s empanadas are one of the restaurants best-selling small plates. Served with a lemon crème fraiche (fancy sour cream) and salsa verde, the meat-stuffed hand pies have a rich saltiness that pairs well with the citrus notes in their accompanying sauces.
If you grab an order of these to go with your Shatta Shrimp, you’ve definitely made the right appetizer choices.
Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and Greens
We’re not sure exactly which country this dish takes its inspiration from, but judging from the mushroom gravy and refined plating, we’d say it’s probably French. Pan-seared and topped with a layer of crispy chicken skin, this meat-centric entrée is hearty and comforting.
Chow Noodles
According to Dayna and Ian, the Chow Noodles are one of the restaurants most popular plates. A homestyle take on a Chinese classic, the sizable dish is perfect for a rainy day — or an Instagram-worthy noodle pull.
Banana Wontons
This dish may be a dessert, but that doesn’t stop it from being one of our favorites on Calida’s menu. A simple and fun finger food, the triangle-shaped treats feature thin and crispy wonton paper stuffed with nothing more than organic banana. Eat one straight from the fryer and you’ll be blown away by the soft, meltiness of the filling.
How to make a reservation at Calida St. Pete
Before you rush off to Calida Kitchen for some global eats, we strongly recommend making a reservation. Given the restaurant’s small size, it’s often filled to capacity.
To secure a table, guests can call Calida at (727) 202-0263 on Thursdays through Saturdays between 5:30 and 9:30 pm (leave a message if a host doesn’t answer). Diners can also message the restaurant on Instagram or through its official website.
Happy table-hunting, St. Pete! Banana wontons await.
Calida Kitchen is located at 2909 Dr M.L.K. Jr St N. To explore current menu offerings and restaurant hours, prospective guests can click here.
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